As shoppers increasingly turn to social media for help with purchase decisions, a selfie taken in a well-lit dressing room becomes an invaluable digital marketing tool

It’s a romantic idea but we find that, in reality, an afternoon spent shopping with Mr or Ms Greenlite can lead to more friction than fun. Thankfully, it seems the days of loitering outside a fitting room whilst your beloved tries on endless outfits could be drawing to a close.

Instead of relying on reluctant co-shoppers for well-meaning advice, shoppers are increasingly snapping changing room selfies – or ‘chelfies’ – and sending them to friends in a bid to gather opinion on what to buy. They’re even crowdsourcing ‘yes’ or ‘no’ votes by broadcasting them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Research reveals that women need an average of three likes on social media before they buy, while men wait for four or more.

Singer Jessie J and reality star Kim Kardashian are among a host of celebs posting dressing room selfies to their millions of fans. Karl Lagerfeld’s flagship London store has changing rooms kitted out with iPads for this very purpose, and fashion bible Vogue even offers tips on how to perfect your shot.

For us at Greenlite, the implications for retailers are clear – the dressing room is now a photographic studio, and great lighting is vital. That means getting rid of harsh fluorescents, which gives skin an unhealthy pallor. Instead, use LEDs, which will show off bright colours and fabrics to their best advantage. And avoid unflattering shadows by installing a combination of ceiling fixtures and vertical lights around mirrors.

Give fitting room walls a lick of paint too – the best lighting in the world will be let down by a grubby background. Finally, good quality, full-length mirrors are a must, so shoppers can indulge in mirror selfies, a celebrity favourite.

Most importantly, bear in mind that a selfie taken in flattering, evenly diffused light won’t just persuade the individual shopper to buy – once broadcast across social media it becomes a hot digital marketing tool for your brand.